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Top Tips on getting hired from Senior Hong Kong Managers

Each company is unique, not just in their hiring processes but also in their culture and the skills they value over others. The size and type of the company plays a huge role in shaping the corporate culture, and consequently, what they value in potential candidates. We asked some senior managers for their advice, and today, we share some of their advice with you.

The Multinational

Avery Dennison (AD), a large multi-national headquartered in California, has a substantial presence in Asia, especially Hong Kong. With such a large footprint, multinationals like AD value your ability to work with a group of diverse people across multiple locations. Ivan, Head of Talent Acquisition, describes their ideal candidate as:

"Someone who's flexible, agile with a strong team player mindset and possesses the ability to work with people from different backgrounds "

Witty, an Enterprise Business Development Director at AD, says that they're looking for people with a "put the customer first" mindset as well as strong communication skills.

Large multinational companies value collaboration and communication because their organisations are large, complex, and matrix-driven. If you're a strong team player who likes working with people from different cultures and backgrounds, a multinational could be for you.

You can find out more from Alex, Witty, and other team members at Avery Denison by watch their interviews here.

The Regional

Regional companies tend to be laser focused on their local and regional markets, which heavily influences their hiring decisions. They’re looking for people who really understand and resonate with the culture and society they operate in.

Towngas are household name in Hong Kong but operate numerous projects in greater China as well. Regional companies like Towngas tend to a more closely-knit community than a multi-national, and pride themselves in investing in not just their employees but their employee community as whole. As a result, they’ll value candidates who take a real interest in the future of their business. Desmond, a Corporate Safely Risk Manager at Towngas mentions that:

“Candidates should always do some research about Towngas before an interview to really understand more about the company’s business and future growth”

Innovation, and innovative thinking play a key role is keeping regional companies competitive and efficient. Xinne, An Engineer at Towngas who originally came through the graduate program mentions that “Even though I’m often more junior than my colleagues, they really value originality and new ideas, and it’s one of the ways I always contribute”.

Regional companies like Towngas have great retention rates because they invest in their community of employees, in return they expect candidates to take a keen interest in the business and invest in activities that will develop their careers and the business as a whole.

You can watch all our interviews with Towngas (in Cantonese only) here

The Local Company

A local business benefits from the wants, needs and culture (including beliefs and customs) of its community. And supplies goods a service that citizens of that community would normally buy. Unlike some larger organizations, you won’t just be another number in these types of companies as they tend to be smaller, with a flatter hierarchy. Candidates should thus be comfortable operating in a less formal, more dynamic environment where priorities might change more often than not.

We spoke to Prizm about what it’s like to work for a localized Hong Kong company. Kevin, Prizm’s Account Director mentioned that:

“We’re able to provide really personalized training at Prizm, for example, a digital marketer would get the chance improve their IT knowledge as well as digital marketing skills in order to present data in a way client wants”

Prizm looks for individuals who can adapt to change in a highly dynamic environment, so adaptability, commitment and the ability to handle pressure are highly valued.

Jeffery, Prizm’s Co-Founder and Director mentioned that in Prizm’s case, “there’s a continuous need for people to learn from each other” as the world of Digital Marketing and Social Media is so fast paced. The ability to share knowledge and trends, both with colleagues and management is extremely important.

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